Gen 2:1–3; Isa 60; Rev 21:10–11; 18–21

In today’s Communion Sunday series, two members of our church write about Bible studies as turning points in their lives:

Carol Hamilton: For my first 35 years I was a church attender. I had the ritual, not the relationship. One day, my friend Catherine invited me to her Bible study. And then again, and then again. After the fifth invite, I went—not because I wanted to, but just to get her off my back. The plan was to go once and that would be it. But I experienced something unexpected: the women had something I didn’t have, or more importantly, someone I didn’t know. I soon embraced Christ as my Savior, and the Holy Spirit started giving me a love for Jesus, a desire to get into his Word, and a burden for those who were lost like I had been. I wish I could say the results were dramatic; they were not. But gradually, I began turning over more and more of my life to God. I am no longer doing it on my own. The power of the Holy Spirit convicts me to help build his kingdom. Remember: God wants our obedience. So don’t give up on inviting people to church, Bible study, or small group. Maybe you will be the Catherine in someone’s life. I am so thankful for her obedience to God.

Wendy Koenig: I lost the love of my mother at age three, and I have yearned for it since. Through trials, heartache and suffering, I looked to God, but also my mother's spirit, for solace. I had been baptized as an infant, and at age 19 I had a full immersion baptism. But it wasn't until I was 31, when I attended my first Bible study, that I was truly baptized by the Holy Spirit. He brought life to my lifeless spirit; I was "blind" and He gave me sight; Jesus adopted me into His family and made Himself known to me. For the past 34 years, God has been faithful to me in all kinds of things: being married, raising three children, being blessed with five grandchildren.